An Ocean County man was killed in an explosion early this morning.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Stafford Township Police Chief Thomas Dellane announced that in the early morning hours of October 31, the Stafford Township Police Department were summoned to a residence on Neptune Drive for a report of an explosion that developed into a structure fire.

Responding Officers found a male victim on the front lawn of the residence, later identified as the homeowner, Kevin Thomas, 45, with serious burns to his upper torso. Mr. Thomas was airlifted to Temple Burn Center in Philadelphia, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Stafford Township Detective Bureau, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit was able to determine that the origin of the explosion was the southwest corner bedroom of the residence and that the cause of the explosion was the release of propane from a tank to an open flame.